User blog:ShawnCognitionCP/In Torment Lore Breakdown
This blog post will include plot details from every story in the series, including major twists from the newest story. If you intend to read the series, I recommend you do so without reading this blog. Pre-series 13.8 billion years ago *The Big Bang occurs, creating the universe. Enki (also known as Anu, Ereshkigal, Nabu, Nibru, the tormentor) manifests as the sentient shard of the universe, symbolizing the universe itself. 12.85 billion years ago *The first galaxies form within the universe. 11 billion years ago *The Milky Way Galaxy forms. 5 billion years ago *The first sentient lifeform evolves in the universe. With it, Mendes manifests, symbolizing both sentience and sapience. He joins forces with Enki as a partner of sorts, forming the earliest version of the pantheon. *Enki and Dread teach the sentient life form and help it grow, until Enki eventually chooses that it is time to end this species to move on to the next sentient life form in the universe. Enki's cycle1 is completed for the first time. 1 Enki's cycle is the period in time where the pantheon help develope a sentient life form, learn from the exotic discoveries and inventions of the species, then destroy it and teach yet another species with all of the compiled information. 4.57 billion years ago *The formation of the solar system. 2.5 million years ago *Primitive humans evolve. Along with them, Dread manifests, symbolizing humanity and the human spirit. It is unknown why a deity formed for humans, but not for any other sentient species in the universe. Dread joins Enki and Mendes, forming the complete pantheon. Enki's cycle officially begins on Earth. 200,000 years ago *Anatomically modern humans evolve. 3500 years ago *The first city-states of Mesopotamia come to be. Human civilization officially starts. Enki takes almost all of his namesakes from this period of time. 1912 *William Taggart is born. 1918 *Olen Grant is born. His soul immediately captures the interest of Enki, whom confirmed he had never seen anything like it before1. It is unknown why such a soul manifested, what its origin is, or what it possibly represents. 1926 *Olen gives into his urges of supremacy and murders Emelia Dawkson. It is unknown if Dread had any prior connection to Olen or Emelia, though he shows emotional attachment and even nostalgia towards her grave stone, even claiming he placed the gravestone of Emelia Dawkson in the ground free of charge for her family. 1Enki states during the events of In Torment 4 that Olen's soul was so malevolent and twisted, and had so much potential, it was as if it didn't belong in this universe. It is also said that even as a child, Olen's mind was that of a fully capable and grown adult. Unknown Date *Olen becomes acquainted with Edison Slater. It is very possible this was done through manipulation, and that Edison wasn't fully aware of Olen's goals. The Night Man 1946 *Dread is sent to record the Olen's actions for Enki, and is accepted by Olen as part of his crew. *On the anniversary of his first murder, Olen Grant goes on a homicidal spree under his philosophy that humanity should act without limits and act free of any dogma, with the added bonus of his misogyny, seeing females as "subhuman". *Olen specifically targets the female populace of Santa Monica, whilst tormenting detective William Taggart, head detective of the Southwest Division #3 in his game. He, along with officers Cambell and Harris, attempts to piece together the murders and solve the crime. The victims directly killed by Olen are Carolyn Deloria, Sally Windwood, the singer of the local Swinger's club, and an unknown forth victim that is never revealed. *Edison Slater is manipulated by Olen Grant to shoot up the LAPD Southwest Division #3's station, adding Mary Finton, Charlie Cambell, and Franklin Burgundy to the toll of deaths accountable to Olen. Edison is shot and killed by William Taggart. *Dread betrays Olen Grant by informing Taggart that Edison was not the real killer at the memorial service for his fallen brothers in duty, so that this could all be finished. He did this because he saw what a danger Olen was to the rest of humanity, even if he did adopt his philosophy. *Taggart shoots and kills Olen (whom was in Taggart's home), ending his killing spree, but ensuring that his legacy would continue. Olen leaves a note containing his reasoning for his crimes as a reward for "winning the game". *The line "Maybe he's laughing at us. That dreaded thing, he is1" from Olen's letter is where Dread (formerly only called The Masked Man) takes his name from. 1The note is referring to Dread's mask, which is a silver laughing drama mask. *Enki takes Olen's corrupt and seemingly foreign soul, already planing to put it to use in the future. Between The Night Man and Oceanic Unknown Date *Dread accepts Olen's philosophy and turns against Enki and Mendes, rejecting Enki's cycle and willing to fight for humanity. This takes the pantheon down to just two members. *William Taggart moves to Tutelo, Pennsylvania- changing his last name to Kaufman. 1963 *Michael Collins is born1 in Sanibel, Maine. He imediately catches the interest of Enki , whom chose him as his loyal servant. Enki remains a part of Michael's life from this point onward as his lord. 1Michael's birthday is confirmed as September 29th. 1980 *Michael moves to Coral Gables, Florida. He does Enki's bidding, ranging from murder to private worship. *Michael meets Joshua Fedrick and Vincent Hinder. They hit it off right away and become friends. *Joshua and Vincent take Michael up to Josh's camp in Okaloacoochee for his 18th birthday, taking Josh's friend Melody Asher. The two become very close over the trip, forming a complicated on-off (yet never official) relationship over the course of the next few years. Oceanic 1985 *Michael Collins, Joshua Fedrick, Vincent Hinder, and Melody Asher all plan a month long deep sea fishing trip to escape from the rest of life for just a short while. *Once at sea, Dread and Mendes both begin taking Michael to Panthalassa1 during his sleep, Mendes telling him what Enki desires, and Dread being far more cryptic and secretive. Enki wanted Michael to prove his loyalty once and for all, before being assigned the most important duty of all. He was to do this by murdering Joshua and Vincent, though Melody was meant to be allowed to live. 1Panthalassa is the name of an alternate Earth within an alternate dimension still a part of the universe, which Enki fully controlled (though all deities, even Dread, had power over). *Michael murders Joshua with a machete for cutting the caught fish (which he keeps as his signature weapon throughout the series). After it is done, Dread tells him to cannibalize on the body, saying it is what Enki wanted. This instance is where Michael picks up his taste for human flesh he retains throughout the series. He then murders Vincent with his own revolver after setting him on fire. *Michael confronts Melody, whom already knows of Enki. Apparently, Michael had been tricked, as Enki had informed Melody of everything in case Michael did not go through with it, as she would be either his replacement, or the ultimate final test. Only one would be allowed to live, and that person would be Enki's humble servant. Michael attempts to shoot himself, but Melody assures him this is what she wants, so that he may live. After shooting her, Dread convinces Michael to commit necrophilia, which is another taboo taste he keeps for the duration of the series. *Dread and Mendes both come to Michael to speak to him afterwards, where Dread attempts to convince them both to accept the philosophy, and to turn against him and save humanity. Michael chooses Mendes' path and remains in servitude to Enki. He changes his name to Michael Asher, stating that if Melody couldn't take his last name, he'd take hers. *Michael is sent forward to 2014. He is given three things to construct after being sent forward to Marington, Pennsylvania, 2014. An icon which can be used to summon Enki at will, a mask for his future champion1, and the Hellmouth2. Mendes travels forward as well after speaking with Dread about the philosophy. 1The champion of Enki was the name for the original plan Enki had for Olen's soul- reincarnate it and form the ultimate servant, and attempt to tap into the potential it had, seeing just how powerful it could get. 2The Hellmouth was a facility designed for Enki's future child to be raised in. Consisting of cement and stone rooms, it was to be accessible only by a trap door. The child was both his method of ending the his cycle on Earth and destroying the human race, along with his supposed successor of some sort. Between Oceanic and In Torment: Excubia 1997 *Enki "recycles" Olen's soul by erasing all of the information on it, only leaving the evil soul itself. He reincarnates this soul in the same town William Taggart moved to decades before, as Jackson Wilkerson. *Jackson Wilkerson is immediately contacted by Enki, and actually becomes the ideological opposite of Olen Grant, regardless of being the same soul. Jackson accepts Enki as the lord, and forms a strong hatred for sentient life. He listens to everything Enki tells him to, though everything he was requested to do remains unknown. 1998 *Joseph Kaufman, grandson of William Taggart, is born. *Natalie Sutton is born. 2014 *Michael is sent forward in time to this date. From within Panthalassa, he constructs the Hellmouth, the Icon of Enki, and the Champion's Mask. He does this from within suspended time, granting him an unlimited amount of time to complete it. In Torment: Excubia 2014 *Michael is finished constructing the Icon of Enki, the Champion's Mask, and the Hellmouth. *Mendes takes Michael between Panthalassa and Earth, allowing him to move within this realm, but remain invisible and not interact with anything. He shows him Jackson (another servant of Enki, the Champion), Joseph (grandson of William Taggart), and Natalie Sutton (the chosen mother for Enki's child). In Torment 2014 *Jackson Wilkerson's time loop begins1. 1Jackson's time look is a period in which he infinitely repeats the events of In Torment: Excubia to the end of In Torment in Hell as a method of training him and tapping into the potential of his dark soul- though that was unknown to everyone but Enki (everyone else assumed it was punishment for failing to kill Joseph on his first attempt). He is freed from this cycle by Enki at the end of In Torment III. *Joseph, Natalie, and Jackson are transported to Panthalassa when they are within Jackson's house to pick him up. *Jackson gets Joseph and Natalie to walk the trail, stating it is a shorter route to Natalie's house. On the way, the trio are knocked unconscious by an alternate Jackson1 and lowered into the Panthalassa version of the Hellmouth so that the plan could begin. 1The "alternate" Jackson as described is Jackson after the ending of In Torment, sent back purely to knock them out and place them within the Hellmouth before he was allowed to slip into death, and his corpse was placed within it- wearing the Champion's Mask. *Once out of sight by Joseph and Natalie, Jackson retrieves the Champion's Mask from the corpse of his alternate self. *Enki is seen, and interacts with the trio, in his hunting form1. He ensures that Jackson has the correct opportunity to lure Natalie into the room he was meant to rape/impregnate her in2, whilst Enki knocks Joseph out. It is likely he didn't kill Joseph so that the cycle would be able to occur without telling Mendes of his ultimate goal, as Jackson wouldn't murder him. 1Enki's hunting form is the form he takes during the events of In Torment and In Torment in Hell. A grotesque, deformed humanoid without any hair, riddled with disease but armed with sharp claws and teeth. 2Jackson had been granted Enki's seed, which he would rape impregnate Natalie with through raping her. *Jackson fails rape Natalie, resulting in the plan's initial attempt being a failure, and Joseph and Natalie escaping the Hellmouth. *Jackson has his throat slashed as punishment. He stumbles into the room he was meant to impregnate Natalie in, where he has his throat fixed to speak. Mendes tells him that he will be sent back to knock the trio out before being allowed to die- and is ensured he will be revived later for usage. Jackson happily agrees, and his throat opens back up. Between In Torment and In Torment in Hell 2014 *Joseph and Natalie were suspected as murderers in Jackson's disappearance, but since the body and trap door were never found, it's ruled a simple disappearance case. *Natalie falls into deep depression, and has recurring suicidal tendencies. Her parents move into an apartment that is still within Tutelo, but not close to the woods, or where the supposed trap door was. *Joseph becomes a devout Christian, using his faith as a coping mechanism for the previous situation. He visits Natalie regularly to check up on her. In Torment in Hell 2015 *Jackson Wilkerson is revived as a revenant- a walking zombie-like corpse with immortality and superhuman strength to complete his mission given to him by Enki. *Joseph goes to check on Natalie, where they catch up for a short moment before they are attacked by Jackson, but given warning by Mendes (whom at this point had thought about what Dread had told him in 1985, but is still loyal to Enki) that would give Joseph the allusion that he was on his side. *Joseph and Natalie free, where they realize everyone else was gone, along with it apparently being far later in the day1. They go to Joseph's house to get resources, where Jackson makes another attempt at their life. After they take a pistol from Joseph's parent's room, Joseph shoots Jackson in the head, but the bullet simply does not stop him. Natalie, as a last-ditch attempt to save them both, holds on to Joseph and forces them both out of the second story window behind them. 1These strange occurrences are due to them being transported to Panthalassa whilst isolated in the apartment. *When they hit the ground, Jackson throws the Icon of Enki down on the injured pair, which Natalie breaks and throws back up through the window. Enki manifests (again, in his hunting form) and jumps out of the window onto Joseph, pinning through his body and into the ground, before biting his neck and killing him. Enki and Jackson both disappear after this killing. Natalie takes Joseph's body back to the car and drives away. *Within death/his own mind, Joseph meets Mendes, whom tells him half-lies about Enki and being on their side to gain his trust. He tells Joseph that to stop Natalie, he must return to the facility1 and kill Jackson there (which was actually a ruse for him to bring Natalie back to the Hellmouth). He heals his body and allows him to return to life. 1Much like how Enki was simply called "The Tormentor" in In Torment and most of In Torment in Hell, the Hellmouth was simply called "the facility" until In Torment 4. The same thing goes for Abaddon, whom is only called "the child" or "Enki's child" until In Torment 4. *Upon returning, Michael in knocked unconscious when he and Natalie find the room Jackson had attempted to rape her in before, where Joseph loses consciousness upon discovering a statue of Mendes. Mendes revealed his true intentions, whilst Jackson raped Natalie- impregnating her with the Abaddon. He is his skin back- along with his mortality. Jackson and Joseph fight once and for all, where Jackson unleashes his sadism on him. At the end, Jackson is impaled with his own weapon, penetrating between the collarbones and exiting near his lower spine, but Joseph dies of his wounds only a moment later. *Natalie flees the Hellmouth and returns home, traumatized further by the events. Between In Torment in Hell and In Torment III 2015 *Mendes thinks more on what he has done, as well as the philosophy Dread had attempted to spread to him. He officially turns against Enki and accepts the philosophy, vowing to protect humanity. *Michael, known only as Michael Asher, has made friends with a young man named Jonah Uriel. Michael lives in Marington, a collection of far spread wood cabins in the woods. His house is on a dirt road that leads to two towns, one of which being Tutelo. He living off of resources he pays for with currency given to him by Enki, and resources they give to him directly. *Michael buries Joseph's body deep within the woods as cleanup. He cannibalizes just slightly on the corpse. In Torment III 2015 *Natalie plans to abort Abaddon. Mendes speaks to her, pretending he is still on Enki's side, and makes a deal with her. The baby (Abaddon) will be born immediately, but out of her life. He did this so that he could attempt to ruin Enki's plan of the child being raised be her. Mendes removes the baby from her, but Enki takes property of it. *Jonah is over at Michael's house to celebrate a new career. Michael goes to get more drinks1, but it is when he is alone is his room that Enki tasks Michael in returning the child to Natalie, after telling him of Mendes' betrayal. It has become very apparent that he, and even Jonah, have been transported to Panthalassa. Shocked and disturbed that his old master and friend would turn against his lord, he immediately accepts. He hides Abaddon in his room. 1The type of beer Michael drinks and keeps in his house is Malhorn's home style beer, the same beer Natalie is drinking in the beginning of Oceanic. *Jonah eventually sees Abaddon, which prompts Michael to slit his throat with his machete. Jonah seemingly didn't blame Michael, as he died with his head in his arms. Abaddon began to assimilate parts of Jonah. Michael has an intense conversation with Mendes afterwards, where he declares his undying loyalty to Enki. Mendes and Michael are both fully aware at this point that they will have to fight each other in the near future. Michael leaves his house, taking his machete, 30 yacht 6, and of course, Abaddon with him. *Michael takes his truck and begins driving from Marington to Tutelo, Abaddon in the seat beside him. One the way, his radio begins to mess up. Eventually, the voice of Enki speaks to him through it, telling him to stop and walk into the separation of trees ahead. *Michael meets Mendes in a perfectly circular field. After they speak for a short while, Michael rejects his final offer to join him and fight against Enki. The two begin fighting, where Michael is unable to harm the god. Mendes is very clearly going to win the fight, having been on top of the fight this entire time, when Michael takes one shot of desperation at the god's chest with his rifle. After the shot, Abaddon, having come to the fight from the car, lets out a roar that makes Mendes' mortal, a show of his great power and will to protect Michael. Mendes begins bleeding from the bullet hole, but Michael is given an option by Enki. Kill Mendes now, or punish him to be chained in the Hellmouth. He chooses to isolate the ex-god in the Hellmouth. *Michael finally delivers the child to Natalie's apartment, where Natalie is frozen and still1, able to be pulled into Panthalassa. He has the option of either pulling her into Panthalassa and attempting to speak her into raising the child within the Hellmouth, or brainwashing her to do so. He chooses the second option, and she is taken into Panthalassa. She cradles Abaddon, whom speaks his first word. "Blessed". 1Whilst all of this happened, time was still in the real world. He was seeing a representation of her, how she was on Earth. *When asked if he'd like to return to Earth, Michael chooses to stay in Panthalassa. He is last seen driving down a long road in his truck, whilst the disembodied voice of Jackson Wilkerson speaks to him through his radio. Jackson promises he will be back, which Michael responds to by snapping on him before turning the radio off. He takes a bite out of meat he harvested off of Jonah, and continues driving. Between In Torment III and In Torment 4 2015 *Michael thinks a lot on the past whilst surviving off what he can get in Panthalassa. He thinks of everything Dread said to him long ago, what Mendes has said to him before their fight, and what Enki made him do to the ones he considered friends. The span between In Torment III and In Torment 4 is a total of seven months, but at some point, he grew to see Enki from their point of view, accepting the philosophy of Olen Grant, as Dread and Mendes did before him. *At an undisclosed time before the events of In Torment 4, Michael meets up with an old friend from a very long time ago- Dread. He tells Dread of how he wishes to fight against Enki, and how he seeks redemption by saving Natalie. Dread decides the time to fight Enki until a victor arises between them is now, and makes a plan with Michael on how they should go about all of their goals. In Torment 4 2015 *Dread has Natalie chained so that she can not move location. Michael makes his way into the Hellmouth and finds her, freeing her from the chains. She is able to freely think again, and he loosely explains he is here to save her. The two begin searching for a way out, where he explains that the Hellmouth can shift at the will of Enki (or Abaddon, as clarified later), and the two are chased by Abaddon, whom wants his mother to stay. *Michael and Natalie find the room in which Mendes is chained in, with Dread also making an appearance, filling Natalie in on some important details. Mendes and Michael talk, which eventually becomes very heated. Michael very clearly still holds Mendes to blame for the events of Oceanic to some extent. Natalie attempts to say that even though Mendes caused her a lot of psychological pain as well, he's worth having on their side. When Mendes mentions that vengeance won't bring Melody back, Michael decapitates his old lord, which puts both Natalie and Dread into shock. *When Michael calms down, he and Natalie continue. They move through the Path of Subterfuge, a feedings grounds for Abaddon, where they must hide among the corpses. They run from Abaddon once more, before escaping him. *Michael and Natalie meet Enki, whom is no longer in his hunting form1, they speak to him. Enki tells them about how he used Olen's soul to create Jackson, along with answering their questions. He reveals that Jackson's time look was never a punishment, but rather an experiment/test that tapped into the potential of his dark soul, giving him more power than even Enki had. The name Jackson now went by as a deity was Leviathan. *When Enki goes to kill the pair, he is stopped by Dread, whom starts assaulting him. Michael and Natalie escape down a hallway and up a ladder whilst Dread and Enki finally fight, smiling as they leave his vision. Dread yells that the thing keeping them from leaving the Hellmouth, and what keeps shifting the place, is Abaddon, whom wants his mother. Knowing that Abaddon had not reached godhood yet, meaning he was able to be killed, Michael knew what must be done. 1Here, Enki appears in his actual form, though his face and hands are not visible do to a powerful aura of light. He stands like any man, wearing a long white robe. *After climbing the ladder, watches as the open area for the ladder is closed behind them by Dread. The pair use this time of peace to speak, where Michael tells Natalie everything. She forgives him, as he is now attempting to save her and give her a normal life. *He continues to the next room alone, where Abaddon asks him if he is a friend or foe. Michael reluctantly answers foe, and the two begin their fight. After being shot by Michael's 30 yacht 6, Abaddon begins changing into a more combat-ready form. Michael does not shoot him whilst he is defenseless, and allows it. The two continue to fight, but Michael eventually severs Abaddon in half. Abaddon asks if Michael is his friend once more whilst dying, where Michael answers he is indeed his friend. *Enki, wounded from his battle with Dread, comes to Abaddon's corpse and speaks to Michael, in shock that his son, chosen destroyer of humanity, and apparent future member of the pantheon, had been killed. Enki passes the mantle of humanity1 to Jackson Wilkerson, whom was now called Leviathan, as one final hurdle for humanity. Enki officially becomes uncaring towards humanity, vowing not to help nor harm it, whatever the case. 1The mantle of humanity is a symbolic right. Whomever has "the mantle" is simply the god over it, like a throne for a king. It is not a physical object or power. *Michael, Natalie, and Dread (whom is unharmed) leave the Hellmouth. Upon exiting, they see that the exit from the Hellmouth in Panthalassa to Earth is no longer in Tutelo, but has been moved to Alaska, four miles from a town called Pecutani. They are attacked by Leviathan, whom throws Michael into a portal to speak to Enki, before showing off his godhood by defeating Dread in combat without being harmed, along with slicing Natalie's heels. Natalie speaks to the spirit of Joseph, whom assures her that no matter what Leviathan does to her, he will be waiting for her in death. Leviathan impales Dread to a tree with Michael's machete, killing him and then ripping it out to force his body to fall on the ground. He then attempts to taunt Natalie before killing her, but steps on her head when she laughs in his face. He spreads his wings before flying towards Pecutani. *(Happens at the same time as the previous bulletin) Michael speaks to Enki within some pocket of Panthalassa, where nothing but white exists. Enki tells him that since he took Abaddon from him and betrayed him, he would force him to live whilst Leviathan killed Natalie, his redemption in his eyes. Michael manages to physically grab Enki, confusing both him and the god. He tells Enki to at least allow Natalie a good death, and to not punish her any farther than the trauma Enki had already done to the girl. He accepts and allows Joseph's spirit to speak to her. Enki tells Michael about the nearest town of Pecutani, and how Leviathan was likely to test out his powers there. No matter how the conflict ended, Enki would never aid nor damage humanity any further- if there even was a humanity at the end. *Michael exits Panthalassa once more, picking up his machete (his 30 yacht 6 was stepped on and broken by Leviathan), and vowing to avenge both Dread and Natalie. He vowed to kill Leviathan, and set out to do so. He begins making his way too Pecutani. Category:Blog posts